The judge hearing the case against Mark Bridger, who is accused of abducting and murdering April Jones, has reminded the jury that her blood was found at the defendant's home.

Mr Justice Griffiths Williams told the jury that the five-year-old's blood was discovered in Bridger's living room, hall and bathroom.

Mark Bridger, a 47-year-old former abattoir worker and lifeguard, denies abducting April and killing her in a sexually motivated attack. He also pleads not guilty to disposing of, concealing or destroying her body.

The judge spent Wednesday morning going through the prosecution case against Bridger, who is accused of abducting April as she played on her bicycle near her home in Machynlleth, mid Wales, on 1 October last year.

He took time reminding the nine women and three men of the forensic evidence in the case. The judge told them that April's blood was found in the living room, hall and bathroom of Bridger's cottage, Mount Pleasant, in the village of Ceinws, three miles from Machynlleth.

He also reminded them that the prosecution claimed that fragments of bone found in the wood-burner in the living room could have been from a human skull. But the judge told them that Bridger's expert had said she could not be certain the fragments were human.

The jury and Bridger appeared to listen intently as the judge summarised evidence concerning material that had been found on Bridger's laptop. Found filed away were images of young girls being sexually abused, pictures of children's corpses and photographs of children killed in notorious murder cases. Bridger also collected pictures of local girls, including April, the jury was told.

Turning to the evidence Bridger gave from the witness box over three days, the judge reminded the jury he had insisted he was not a paedophile. Sending the jury out at 1.55pm, the judge said: "I'm here to give you any further assistance you may require.

"You're under no pressure for time. You must take as long as you need."

Earlier, beginning his summing up at Mold crown court in north Wales, the judge urged the jury to conduct a "dispassionate review of the evidence".

He told the panel not to speculate, adding: "No verdict should be based on guesswork."

Elwen Evans QC, prosecuting, said the case against Bridger was overwhelming. She said: "Some of you may have wondered how anybody could do what the prosecution allege this defendant has done and then concoct a story to cover up what he has done."

The prosecutor reminded the jury of Bridger's false claims that he had served in the military and said: "On his own admission, this is a man who over 20 years ago decided to create a whole new life for himself, and a man who was prepared to live that lie."

She claimed he had continued to manipulate his account of what he said happened to April to "deal with evidence he cannot overcome".

April's parents, Coral and Paul, who have attended each day of the trial, watched the closing speeches and the judge's summing up from the public gallery.

Bridger claims that he accidentally hit April with his Land Rover and put her in his car and had forgotten what he did with her body.

Brendan Kelly QC, defending, urged the jury to put aside the "obvious emotions" attached to a case that had "appalled" the nation and decide their verdict on the evidence.

He said: "Mark Bridger denies these offences. He challenges the 'compelling' evidence which the crown advances."

Kelly went on: "You can only convict this defendant if you are sure on the evidence that is put before you.

"If you are sure, it will be your pleasure to convict Mark Bridger. But if you are not sure, it will be upon you to acquit Mark Bridger.

"Your job, and I can't state this enough, is to decide the case on the evidence. It is going to be difficult to ignore the obvious emotion attached to these allegations but that is what you are obliged to do."

Kelly drew attention to the evidence of a seven-year-old witness who claimed she saw April getting into Bridger's Land Rover willingly on the evening of 1 October. The barrister claimed the witness, who gave her evidence via videolink, was honest but mistaken.

After deliberating for just over three hours, the jury was called back into the court and the judge sent the jurors home for the evening, telling them it had been a "long day". He warned the jury members not to speak to anyone about the case or do any research on it.